SAN JOSE, Calif. – For the third time this season, the UMKC men’s soccer team (5-9-3, 3-6 WAC) tacked three goals on the board, but ultimately fell to the San Jose State Spartans (6-10-1, 4-4-1), 4-3, on Sunday in its final road match of the regular season.

Senior Eric McWoods (St. Louis, Mo.) kick started the Roos offensive charge in the fifth minute of the match, netting his 11th goal of the season – and second in two games – to put UMKC out in front. The captain now ranks in a tie for third all-time in single season goals and is fourth all-time in single season shots (60) in UMKC program history.

In the seventh minute, the Spartans responded to knot the game at one-all. Three Roos – Victor Olorunfemi (Osogbo, Nigeria), Enric Ferrer (Barcelona, Spain) and Diego Serfaty (Sunrise, Fla.) – each tallied a shot in the remaining minutes of the half, while goalkeeper Filippo Errico (Verona, Italy) was challenged in the net, grabbing four saves.

Nine minutes into the second half, Alvaro Hernando (Bilbao, Spain) bombed a ball past the Spartan goalkeeper to put the Roos back out in front. Nearly six minutes later, San Jose State answered to tie the game back up.

In the 67th minute, the Spartans jumped out in front for the first time to take the 3-2 lead, before Serfaty notched his fourth goal of the season off of a pass from Christian Anderaos (Sau Paulo, Brazil) less than a minute later. The helper by Anderaos is his sixth of the season – the fifth-most in a single season by a Roo in program history.

The Spartans converted a penalty kick in the 69th minute to take the 4-3 lead and would hold on to that lead, despite tremendous offensive effort by the Roos. In the closing minutes, McWoods fired his second shot of the game, and 99th of his career, but the Spartan goalkeeper came up with his biggest save of the game to keep the Roos off the board for the fourth time.

UMKC will return to Durwood Soccer Stadium on Nov. 4 to close the regular season against No. 22 Air Force and honor its senior class. The Roos are also continuing their charity drive to help Hurricane Maria victims. Learn more about how you can help UMKC’s efforts.